


Traits

by coockie8



Category: The Walking Dead - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, Manipulation, Past Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Threesome - M/M/M, Triggers, Trust Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-30
Updated: 2015-09-30
Packaged: 2018-04-24 03:33:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4903990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coockie8/pseuds/coockie8
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rick's spent the passed week or so trying to find a trait both of the Dixon brothers got from their mother. Finding out what it is leads to some fun, but the fun turns bad when Rick starts to suspect that Merle doesn't trust him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Traits

**Author's Note:**

> Guess what’s finally done, bitches! Traits, traits is finally done. All 6578 words of it. This is the longest one shot I have ever written, but as per-usual, if enough you want a sequel, I am not opposed to writing one. There is no guarantee that the sequel will be as long as the original though, sorry. Anyway, hope you like it. The story behind the name I gave to Daryl and Merle’s mother is literally just ‘it was the first white girl name that came to mind so I stuck with it,’ for anyone who was wondering.

It was obvious to anyone who even just glanced at them that Merle and Daryl obviously took more after different parents. At least in the face, they were similar, but looked nothing alike; if they didn’t tell you, you wouldn’t even know they were brothers. Merle took after his dad, and Daryl took after his mom; anyone with eyes could see that. The only trait the brothers seemed to share was their eyes; they got those from their dad. According to Merle, their mother; Christy, had blonde hair, green eyes, had been covered in freckles, and had a beauty mark above her mouth. Daryl looked a lot like her in the face; those same squinty eyes, he’d had freckles when he was a kid, had also started out with blond hair, and had a mole in the same spot their mother supposedly had a beauty mark. The only thing he didn’t share with his mother’s face was her green eyes. Daryl had admitted that Merle looked a lot like their dad, just went grey a lot earlier and had much shorter hair; to avoid looking too much like him.

Since the casual conversations that lead to this knowledge, Rick was determent to find something they both shared of their mother’s. It was difficult to do when they were both so reluctant to remove their clothes in front of Rick; he almost always did them with their clothes on, pants hanging off their thighs, shirts still on. He understood why, but it was still frustrating.

The discovery of what trait they both had that they got from their mother came to Rick when he took them both on a run. He stayed behind the two as they walked beside one another, and it was hard to tell when they both had jeans on; but it was obvious they both had their mother’s ass. A grin broke Rick’s features at the discovery, and he knew he _had_ to tell them when they got back to the prison.

The run had gone smoothly and Rick immediately whisked the brothers away to the boiler room once they gone back and dropped off the supplies they’d gathered. Merle snarled viciously and jerked away from Rick once they were in the boiler room

“The hell, Grimes!?”

He snapped. Rick chuckled and rubbed under Merle’s chin

“Calm down, babe,”

He cooed. Merle just scoffed and turned his back to Rick, Daryl chewed his thumb and stared up at Rick with expectant eyes

“Somethin’ wrong, Rick?”

He wondered. The former sheriff just sauntered over to Daryl; grabbing his ass and kissing him deeply. The younger Dixon hummed and melted into the attention

“Well, ya both know that I’ve been tryin’ ta find somethin’ ya both got from yer mama,”

He started after breaking the kiss. Daryl nodded as he started to slowly unbutton Rick’s shirt, Merle glanced over his shoulder

“Yeah, so what?”

He scoffed. Rick smirked as Daryl attacked his, now exposed, chest with licks and tiny bites

“I think I found it,”

He purred; groping Daryl’s perfect ass again. Daryl pulled away from Rick’s chest to look over his shoulder lustfully; watching Rick’s naughty hands

“Ya ain’t serious; yer just pullin’ a similarity outta thin air!”

Merle snapped; blushing furiously. Rick reluctantly pulled away from Daryl to walk over to Merle and grab his ass

“No I ain’t; ya got yer mom’s ass,”

He teased. Merle scoffed and swatted Rick’s hands away

“My ass ain’t _that_ nice,”

He grumbled. Daryl tilted his head curiously as he clung to Rick again; nipping at his neck

“Mama had a nice butt?”

He asked. Merle snorted

“I get the feelin’ that’s the only reason dad loved the damn bitch,”

He scoffed. Daryl flinched at the harsh way Merle spoke about their mother, Rick smirked and squeezed Merle’s ass again

“Might not be _exactly_ the same, but ya definitely get it from ‘er,”

He teased. Daryl whimpered and nipped Rick’s neck again; needy for attention. The former sheriff chuckled and gladly cupped Daryl’s ass with his free hand

“So now that I figured this out; how ‘bout a little fun with ma boys?”

He purred. Merle’s eyes hooded slightly at the proposition before biting his lip and nodding

“A’right,”

He breathed. Daryl nearly squealed with glee and pounced Merle; pushing a suffocating kiss to his thin lips. Rick leaned against a wall and smirked at the sight of them; Daryl got so pushy when he needed to.

“I know neither ‘a ya are comfortable, but I wanna see ya both without yer clothes this time,”

Rick purred. Daryl broke the kiss and started nibbling on Merle’s neck; obviously ignoring what Rick had said. Merle just looked at Rick with a very nervous expression

“Ya already told me what ya been through, seein’ it ain’t gonna make a difference,”

He assured; pushing a reassuring kiss to Merle’s lips. Daryl pulled away from Merle’s neck and whimpered

“A’right,”

He squeaked. Rick smiled and kissed Daryl’s forehead

“Good boy,”

He purred; reaching forward to pull Daryl’s shirt off. The younger Dixon whimpered but let Rick have his way

“There’s just so much more I can do ta ya if I have more access,”

He cooed; leaning forward to lick one of Daryl’s nipples.

“Yer missin’ out if ya stay all covered up,”

He finished. Merle tugged at Rick’s shirt before pulling it off

“Who gives a shit; yer hotter anyway,”

He breathed; running his hand down Rick’s firm chest. Rick chuckled and tugged on Merle’s shirt

“Ya too,”

He purred; leaning forward to nip at his neck. Merle squirmed and backed away

“I never agreed,”

He scoffed. Daryl whimpered softly

“Please; I don’t wanna be alone,”

He pleaded. Merle cringed at the sight of his baby brothers puppy dog eyes

“Fine,”

He grumbled before begrudgingly pulling his shirt off. Rick smirked as Merle crossed his arms over his chest; fruitlessly trying to cover a huge scar on his abdomen. The former sheriff grabbed Merle’s arms and pulled them away from his chest; leaning down to lick up the scar

“Yer gorgeous,”

He purred lovingly. Merle just snorted

“Fag,”

He spat. Rick chuckled and turned back to Daryl to pull him into a heated kiss

“If yer gonna be rude, ya won’t get anythin’,”

He informed teasingly. Merle swallowed thickly before scoffing

“Right, as if ya’d willin’ly deny yerself 2 partners jus’ ta prove a damn point,”

He grumbled. Rick chuckled and reached down to grope the bulge in Daryl’s jeans

“Oh yeah, ya sure ‘bout that?”

He purred as Daryl gripped his arms; writhing slightly

“Rick~,”

He moaned; humping into Rick’s hand. Merle’s posture faltered and he bit his lip as he watched his boyfriends out of the corner of his eye. Rick started nipping and sucking on Daryl’s nipples

“Ya sure ya don’t wanna apologize?”

Rick cooed; squeezing Daryl’s cock. Merle cleared his throat and averted his gaze

“Sorry…”

He mumbled. Rick grinned and pulled away from Daryl; earning himself a desperate whine and the hunter attacking his neck with not-so-gentle bites.

“Look me in the eye ‘n say that,”

He purred while hooking his finger under Merle’s chin and turning his head. The older Dixon swallowed thickly and looked into Rick’s eyes

“Sorry,”

He repeated; cheeks flushing slightly before he tore his gaze away. Rick pecked his lips and grinned

“Good boy,”

He teased. Merle snorted again before pulling Rick into a kiss

“Douche bag,”

He mumbled. Rick chuckled and wrapped his arms around Merle’s waist

“I’m neglectin’ yer brother, ‘n he’s gonna break skin soon,”

He chuckled quietly so Daryl couldn’t hear. Merle laughed softly and reached forward to grope Daryl’s crotch

“Be nice, little brother,”

He cooed. Daryl whimpered and stopped biting at Rick’s neck

“It ain’t fair; ya 2 are havin’ all the fun,”

He whined; grinding against Rick’s thigh. Merle smirked

“Ya gotta earn attention; get down on yer knees ‘n suck his cock, like a good little whore,”

He purred. Daryl hummed happily at the idea and did as he was told; dropping to his knees and pulling Rick’s cock out before massaging the head with his tongue. Rick chuckled breathlessly

“Ya got ‘im wrapped around yer finger,”

He panted. Merle nodded and started to gently nip at Rick’s neck

“I know,”

He mumbled against the heated skin on his lips. Rick swallowed and started to gently hump into Daryl’s mouth. Merle smirked and pecked Rick on the lips before grabbing Rick’s wrist and guiding his hand to the bulge in his jeans

“Touch me,”

He breathed. Rick licked his lips and squeezed the bulge; gently massaging it through Merle’s jeans

“Like that?”

He purred. Merle nodded and nipped and Rick’s neck

“It’s good,”

He panted lustfully. Rick chuckled teasingly before groaning when Daryl swallowed around his shaft

“C’mon Merle, take yer pants off,”

He purred; squeezing Merle ass with his free hand. The older male let out a soft sigh before pulling away to strip off the rest of his clothes. Rick watched him in lustful hunger as he struggled to get his pants off

“Need help?”

He asked. Merle gave him a tiny nod, Rick tapped Daryl

“Go help yer brother, Sweetie,”

He purred. Daryl hummed and did as he was told; getting up and walking over to Merle to help him get his pants off before grabbing his bare cock and squeezing the head

“Yummy,”

He cooed; dropping to his knees to suck the hard organ into his mouth. Merle flinched before cording his left hand through Daryl’s hair

“Yer such a hungry cock-slut,”

He panted. Rick snickered and walked up to the brothers; pulling Merle into a kiss

“But he’s good at it,”

He purred; grinding his cock against Daryl’s cheek. The younger Dixon hummed happily and pulled off Merle cock to lap at the head of Rick’s. The former sheriff chuckled and wrapped his hand around Merle’s cock

“Yer adorable, Daryl,”

He cooed. Said man glanced up at Rick through his bangs as he took the shaft into his mouth; humming happily. Merle leaned his forehead against Rick’s shoulder; panting as he humped into Rick’s hand

“Fuck,”

He gasped when Rick thumbed the slit. Rick snickered menacingly and moved his other hand back to grope Merle’s ass

“Yer so fuckin’ sexy,”

He purred; biting Merle’s neck. The older man jerked away slightly before running a tiny lick across Rick’s bottom lip; it was the cutest thing Rick had ever seen, but he’d _never_ say that out loud to Merle, for fear of getting punched. Instead Rick just smiled lovingly at Merle and pulled him into a desperate, choking kiss that left Merle gasping for breath when it was over

“The hell’s gotten into ya, Officer Friendly?”

He panted; cheeks dusted a light pink. Rick just smiled at him again before looking down at Daryl; who was looking up at Rick with glassy, pleading eyes. Rick gave Daryl an apologetic look

“I’m sorry, baby, come ‘ere,”

He sighed; Daryl immediately hopped to his feet and clung to Rick, grinding his hard-on against the older man’s thigh

“Have I earned attention yet?”

He whimpered. Merle smirked and dropped to his knees; pulling Daryl’s pants off and nearly swallowing his erection whole. The younger Dixon yelped and dug his nails into Rick’s arms before moaning happily

“Merle~,”

He mewled; wiggling his hips slightly as he nipped at Rick’s neck. The former sheriff chuckled softly and corded his fingers through Daryl’s hair while caressing Merle’s head

“Good boy, Merle,”

He teased; desperately hoping Merle wouldn’t lose his temper and bite his brother. Luckily, he just narrowed his eyes at Rick and growled around the shaft in his mouth. Daryl crumpled slightly

“I’m gonna cum,”

He informed pitifully. Merle pulled off his cock and licked his lips

“Not yet,”

He scolded. Daryl whimpered and clung to Rick; hiding his face in his neck, sucking and nibbling on all the sensitive spots. Merle stood and pressed himself against the side of Rick Daryl wasn’t glued to.

“Wanna move on?”

He purred. Rick swallowed thickly and smirked

“Not sure yet; kinda liked seein’ ya on yer knees, sucking yer brother’s cock,”

He teased. Merle tilted his head slightly and slid to his knees again; taking Rick’s cock into his mouth, a flirty smile playing on his lips. Rick choked slightly before smirking and groping Daryl’s butt, the younger Dixon glanced down at Merle and bit his lip; seeing his older brother so submissive was new to him, and it was turning him on like crazy. Merle gagged softly when Rick’s cock pressed deeper into his throat then he was used to, and his eyes watered slightly, but he didn’t stop. Rick panted as he watched Merle deep throat him; he knew where Merle had learned to do that, and normally he didn’t like to think about it, but at times like this it was hard not to. Rick’s thoughts were interrupted by the feeling of Daryl moving away. Rick turned his attention to his other lover and smirked at the sight of him on his knees next to Merle; leaning forward to suck on his balls. Merle shifted to the side to give Daryl more room to work; sending him a short, jealous glare before looking back up at Rick.

“Havin’ fun, boys?”

He teased. Merle swallowed around his cock to get him to shut up; it was very effective, because Rick nearly yelped before digging his nails into Merle’s scalp

“Don’t hurt yerself,”

He worried; going from teasing jerk to concerned boyfriend in 2 seconds flat. Merle hummed around the thick cock in his mouth before pulling away

“I’m fine,”

He assured as Daryl took his place; reaching over to stroke Merle’s cock in time with his head bobbing.

“Think Daryl’s getting’ impatient,”

He panted. Rick nodded

“A’right, c’mere,”

He purred. Daryl pulled away and tilted his head

“How’re we gonna fuck?”

He wondered; his voice way too innocent sounding for that to be the question he was asking. Merle snorted out a laugh as Rick smirked

“Yer gonna bend over that table, ‘n Merle’s gonna fuck ya,”

He purred; pointing to the wooden table in the far right corner. Daryl hummed happily and walked over to the table; doing as he was told. Merle chuckled and followed after him; kneeling behind Daryl to eat him out. The younger Dixon jerked before mewling loudly; pushing his hips back against Merle’s face

“Fuck~!”

He whined. Rick smirked and walked up behind Merle; rubbing the dripping head of his dick against the older man’s cheek. Merle hummed and brought his left hand up to stroke Rick’s cock

“Yer so fuckin’ needy,”

He accused before going back to eating Daryl out. Rick chuckled breathlessly before tapping the back of Merle’s head

“I think he’s wet enough,”

He teased. Merle swallowed and pulled back before standing up and lining his cock up with Daryl’s hole

“Ready, slut?”

He purred. Daryl mewled gleefully and pushed his hips back again; catching the head of Merle’ cock on his entrance. Rick chuckled

“I’d take that as a ‘yes’,”

He purred next to Merle’s ear before nipping the shell. The older Dixon whimpered softly at the small bite before slowly pushing into Daryl’s needy ass. Said man let out a breathy moan; arching into the steady push. Rick smirked and brought his right hand down to push a finger into Merle; who tensed up and narrowed his eyes at Rick

“Yer testin’ ma patience, Grimes,”

He warned. Rick chuckled softly and moved to stand right behind Merle; landing a swift slap to his perfect ass, causing the older man to yelp and jerk his hips forward, sheathing himself in Daryl.

“Ow, Merle!”

Daryl scolded. Merle whimpered softly and glared back at Rick

“Sorry,”

He mumbled. Rick smirked and continued to work his finger inside Merle. Daryl relaxed and rested his chest on the table; making a small sound in his chest that almost sounded like a cat purring. By 4 fingers, Rick liked to be 100% sure Merle was properly prepared, Merle was digging his nails into Daryl’s hips and panting like crazy; cock twitching with need where it was nestled deep inside Daryl.

“Ya gonna move anytime soon?”

Daryl whimpered. Merle managed to force 1 eye open and he snarled before bringing a hard slap to Daryl’s ass

“How ‘bout ya shut up?”

He scolded. Daryl cried out at the hit; cock twitching with delight, and he immediately started grinding back against Merle’s hips

“Mmm, do that again,”

He purred lustfully. A small grin cracked Merle’s lips; he'd forgotten how much Daryl loved being spanked. Rick snickered before smirking and trailing his thumb around the stretched edge of Merle’s hole; he leaned in close next to Merle’s ear

“Could fist ya,”

He purred. Merle blushed deeply and shot Rick a glare; but didn’t say no, instead he just stood there, gently grinding into Daryl’s ass, thinking about the proposition. Rick had to stifle a laugh; he definitely meant what he’d said, but he found it entertaining that Merle was _actually_ considering it, instead of just punching him.

“Maybe later,”

Came Merle’s almost shy answer. Rick smirked and tugged his fingers free before lining his cock with the well prepared hole; holding his hand in front of Merle’s mouth

“Spit,”

He ordered. Merle scoffed but did as he was told; glancing over his shoulder to watch Rick lube his cock with the saliva before beginning to slowly push in. Merle whimpered softly and bent over Daryl’s back just slightly; grinding even harder into him. The younger Dixon made the purring sound again, and Merle realized he was grinding right into Daryl’s prostate. He smirked

“Like that?”

He purred; trying to keep his voice from cracking, but no amount of prepping could ever prepare him for Rick’s massive girth. Daryl nodded and pushed back against his brother’s hips again

“Please, Merle; I need more,”

He whimpered lustfully. Merle bit his lips before nipping one of the scars on Daryl’s back; effectively shutting the younger Dixon up.

“I will, just… Give me a second,”

He panted; glaring at Rick over his shoulder. The former sheriff just smirked as he finally sheathed his cock inside Merle

“Ya can move whenever ya’d like,”

He teased. Merle scoffed softly and started nibbling on the back of Daryl’s neck, Rick snickered and held still inside of Merle; knowing it was a terrible idea to start thrusting so soon after entering with nothing but a little saliva to ease the way, if he went too fast Merle would tear, and Rick knew that. Merle started to shallowly thrust in and out of Daryl; it wasn’t much, but at least he was moving. Daryl let out a happy sigh and pushed back to meet Merle’s thrusts. Rick kissed one of Merle’s scars before moving to lick another

“Ya ready fer me ta move yet?”

He asked breathlessly. Merle nodded, Rick gripped his hips and started to slowly pull out; making sure Merle felt every groove and vein of Rick’s cock. The older man shuddered softly at the long, draggy pull; he loved every second of it. Once Rick had just the head inside he leaned over Merle’s back and slammed back in; making Merle repeat the same action to Daryl. He smirked at the high mewl that left Daryl’s throat followed by the sound of him scraping his nails across the table. Merle choked slightly and his nails broke skin on Daryl’s hips; not that it mattered to Daryl, he liked a little pain in sex. Rick repeated the action of slow pull then snap forward for the next 4 thrusts, until Merle snarled at him softly

“Faster,”

He panted. Rick snickered but did as he was told; gripping Merle’s hips tighter, standing straight and pounding him, causing Merle to repeat the same speed and force on Daryl, much to Daryl’s delight. Merle sunk his teeth into Daryl’s shoulder; he didn’t like to be loud during sex, Daryl on the other hand couldn’t keep his moans and mewls quiet, sex was one of the few times Daryl’s voice was above a mumble. Merle glanced forward just in time to see Daryl crack a nail; quickly reaching up to pin his hands behind his back

“If y-yer gonna do that; ya lose ‘em,”

He panted. Daryl nodded

“O-Okay,”

He whimpered; not that he minded, he liked the feel of the rough table rubbing against his nipples. Rick groaned and slammed harder into Merle; who yelped at the sudden change of pace, but quickly melted into the feeling

“Rick~!”

He mewled against Daryl’s shoulder; his balls tightening with the need to cum. Rick chuckled and slid a hand up Merle’s chest to pinch and pull a nipple

“Good boy,”

He panted. Daryl glanced over his shoulder and whimpered, Rick chuckled softly at Daryl’s silent need to have whatever his brother had before slipping his other hand lower to tease one of Daryl’s nipples. With nothing holding Merle’s hips still, Daryl could now feel the full force of Rick’s thrusts and nearly sobbed at what felt like a change of pace to Daryl, but was what Merle was feeling the whole time. Merle gently nuzzled Daryl’s neck

“How does it feel, ya gonna cum?”

He purred. Daryl nodded frantically as he pushed his hips back to meet the brutal thrusts

“I can’t take it; I’m so close,”

He sobbed. Rick chuckled softly and pinched Daryl’s nipple harder

“Ya gonna beg; like ya always do?”

He teased. Daryl blushed deeply and bit his lip; humiliation bubbling up in his chest, but he didn’t say anything about it. Merle panted heavily and nipped Daryl’s neck to keep from crying out when Rick changed his angle to hit Merle’s prostate. Daryl arched at the feeling of the bite and cried out

“P-Please~!”

He whimpered; causing Rick to chuckle.

“Go on,”

He purred. Daryl nearly screamed as he came; cum splattering on the floor. Merle flinched at the feeling of Daryl clenching around him, but didn’t cum, not yet. Rick released Daryl’s abused nipple and pulled Merle out of him. Daryl moved out of the way so Rick could pull out, flip Merle onto his back and slam him against the table; they always got rough once Daryl was out of the picture, and it was _so_ hot. Merle bit his lip when Rick entered him again; pounding him with new found force, Daryl knelt on the table and watched the scene before him; blushing deeply at the sight of Merle getting so fully dominated, he would never get used to it. Rick glanced at Daryl’s softening cock; all wet and covered in cum

“Merle,”

He started. The older man opened an eye at Rick

“Y-Yessir?”

He panted heavily. Rick jerked his head towards Daryl

“Clean yer brother,”

He ordered. Merle panted heavily and twisted around slightly so his could pull Daryl closer and take his cock into his mouth. Daryl squealed; dick over sensitive from the orgasm he’d just had. He tried to squirm away from Merle, but his brother had an iron grip on Daryl’s wrist; halting any chanced of escape. Rick snickered at the sight and wrapped his hand around Merle’s wet cock; pumping it in time with his thrusts, grinning madly at the high whine that escaped Merle’s throat, despite the cock in his mouth. Daryl chewed his bottom lip; sometimes he forgot the hold Rick had over Merle, it was dizzying, Merle would do _anything_ for Rick, and it had to be the sexiest thing Daryl had ever seen.

“Yer gonna cum when I tell ya too,”

Rick informed; getting almost drunk on the power he so obviously had over Merle. The older man pulled off Daryl’s cock to look into Rick’s eyes and nod

“Yessir,”

He managed to force out between gasps and moans. Rick squeezed the head and snickered again

“An’ after ya cum, ya and yer brother are gonna get on yer knees in front ‘a me so I can cover yer faces in my hot seed,”

He purred. Daryl brought his thighs together when a spark of arousal shot through him at Rick’s words; and judging by the look on Merle’s face, he’d felt the same effect. Merle desperately tried to keep his eyes open so he could watch all the sexy faces Rick was making as he slowly began to lose it

“Cum now, ya fuckin’ slut,”

He ordered, and much to Daryl’s surprise, Merle actually did. He came with a cry that was muffled as he bit down on his hand. Rick didn’t let Merle ride out the orgasm; as soon as the cum had left his dick, Rick pulled out, squeezing the base of his own cock to cut off his orgasm

“On the floor, on yer knees; both ‘a ya,”

He ordered hoarsely. Daryl quickly did as he was told; opening his mouth and sticking his tongue out slightly. Merle followed shortly; body shaking intensely from the incredibly unsatisfying orgasm he’d just had, it was like he’d been cut off half way. He followed Daryl’s lead and opened his mouth just as Rick shot his load over them. Daryl hummed happily at the feeling of being covered in hot spunk, Merle wasn’t as enthusiastic about it; him not being a huge fan of being on the receiving end of a facial, but he swallowed what got in his mouth nonetheless, even darting his tongue out to lick up anything he could reach. Rick chuckled breathlessly and knelt down; leaning forward to lick Daryl’s face clean

“Good boys,”

He praised lovingly. Daryl let out a happy coo and nuzzled Rick’s neck, the former sheriff looked at Merle; who was already wiping the cum off his face with his hand. Rick smiled softly and moved closer to him; licking clean what Merle missed. Merle didn’t stop him, but he also didn’t seem particularly pleased with what Rick was doing. Rick pulled away and snorted softly at the slight pout on Merle’s face

“Aww, baby; did I pull out too early?”

He teased. Merle averted his gaze; blushing deeply in humiliation. Daryl arched his brow and bit his lips; Merle hated when Rick teased him like that, but Daryl couldn’t figure out why he never said or did anything.

“Yeah,”

Merle mumbled softly. Rick chuckled and pulled him into a kiss

“I’ll make it up ta ya,”

He assured lovingly. Merle swallowed thickly; now that sex was over he suddenly felt very naked, and Daryl might be totally comfortable with Rick, but that didn’t mean Merle was and he just wanted to put his clothes back on then go sulk in his cell for a half hour. Daryl stood and started to clothe himself, but Rick was still staring at Merle, like he wanted something, so just getting up and leaving wasn’t an option for Merle right now.

“What?”

He grumbled. Rick cocked an eyebrow

“What do you think?”

He asked sternly. Daryl just continued dressing like there wasn’t any tension whatsoever; they did this every time they had sex, Rick would intentionally do something that bother, hurt, or pissed Merle off, then would give him the opportunity to confront him. But Merle never did; he wasn’t quite there yet, not matter how many times Daryl told him that Rick would never get mad about this. Rick hadn’t yet found something that was bad enough for Merle to blow up at him after, so he continued trying to find it. Apparently cutting off his orgasm then humiliating him in front of his brother wasn’t enough; so Rick would just have to try harder next time. Merle averted his gaze again

“I’m fine…”

He mumbled; obvious anger straining his voice. Rick sighed heavily and stood up

“Get dressed; and go keep watch,”

He grumbled. Merle narrowed his eyes

“Ya pissed at me?”

He spat. Rick cocked an eyebrow

“I’m a little hurt that even after everythin’ we done, ya still don’t trust me,”

He explained. Daryl was fully dressed now; standing at the door to the boiler room, shifting awkwardly. Merle stood and snarled

“I _do_ trust ya!”

He snapped. Rick turned back to him and slammed his fist down on the table; making both brothers jump slightly

“Ya sure don’t act like it!”

Rick yelled. Merle swallowed thickly and averted his gaze again, Rick took a deep breath

“If I hurt ya, er do somethin’ ya don’t like; tell me, ‘cause there’s gonna come a time where I don’t notice I’m hurtin’ ya, ‘n I won’t be able ta stop if ya don’t say nothin’,”

He explained in a much softer voice. Merle bit his lower lip; covering his crotch with his hand, suddenly feeling _very_ vulnerable.

“I’m sorry,”

He mumbled. Rick let out a frustrated sigh

“I don’t want an apology, Merle; I want ya ta talk ta me,”

He grumbled. Merle looked back at Rick

“What do ya want me ta say; that it didn’t feel too good when ya made fun ‘a me in front ‘a Daryl like that?”

He sighed. Rick let out another frustrated sigh

“Yes, that’s exactly what I want ya ta say!”

He exclaimed. Merle shrugged

“There then; I said it,”

He mumbled. Rick groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose

“I want ya ta say it without me havin’ ta ask ya,”

He growled; getting more and more frustrated by the second. Daryl shifted awkwardly again; he felt like he should leave, but he didn’t want to without his lovers. Merle averted his gaze

“…. Alright,”

He mumbled; shifting his gaze over to his clothes

“Can I get dressed now?”

He mumbled. Rick scoffed and quickly re-clothed himself before storming off, Daryl flinched away from him as he stormed passed. Merle slowly put his clothes back on; taking special care to not look at Daryl

“He just worries,”

The younger Dixon squeaked. Merle scoffed as he pulled his shirt back on

“Ain’t got nothin’ ta worry ‘bout; what’s the fuckin’ point in talkin’? Ain’t gonna undo what’s done,”

He grumbled; still not making eye contact. What Merle had said earlier was true; he _did_ trust Rick, he even loved him, and that’s why he couldn’t stand to have Rick mad at him, but a simple apology wasn’t going to fix it this time. Daryl chewed his bottom lip

“But it would make ’im feel better if ya did,”

He explained; hoping Merle would finally see it from Rick’s perspective

“If ya hurt me, ya’d want me ta tell ya, right?”

He asked. Merle finally looked Daryl in the eye

“…Yeah,”

He mumbled. Daryl walked up to Merle; wrapping his arms around his waist

“Get it now?”

He hummed. Merle swallowed thickly before nodding

“Yeah,”

He sighed; hugging Daryl back. Daryl could feel Merle shaking; Rick slamming his fist down on the table and yelling like that had been pretty taxing for both of them, but Daryl understood why he did it. He’d just lost his temper, it didn’t happen that often; Rick was always very careful with his boys, but when it did, Merle was always rattled after, the abuse he’d received from their father had been much worse, because Will blamed Merle for what happened to Christy.

“Do ya want me ta talk ta Rick?”

Daryl offered; knowing Merle wouldn’t be comfortable going near Rick when he was so steamed. Surprisingly, Merle shook his head

“No; I’ll talk to ‘im,”

He sighed shakily before pulling away from Daryl. The younger Dixon stared at Merle

“Are ya sure?”

He asked. Merle nodded before walking passed Daryl to go find Rick.

He wound up finding him in one of the guard towers; pacing with a gun in his hands, it looked like he was contemplating whether or not to start taking out walkers to blow off some steam.

“Hey,”

Merle greeted softly. Rick didn’t even acknowledge him; causing Merle to flinch, almost like the cold silence had actually punched him.

“Can we talk?”

He started. Rick continued to ignore him; clutching the gun harder, knuckles turning white from the grip. Merle let out a shaky breath

“Daryl talked to me; helped me understand where yer comin’ from,”

He explained. Rick just continued to pace; narrowing his eyes sharply at the walkers below as they attacked a car that drove in, Glenn was back from his run. Merle watched the car before looking back at Rick

“I get it now, ‘n I’ll tell ya if somethin’s botherin’ me; I promise,”

He assured. Rick let a small snort slip; so he was listening, just choosing to ignore. Merle sighed and tentatively wrapped his arms around Rick’s waist from behind; terrified he’d get pushed away, he didn’t know if he could handle that right now. Rick didn’t pull away or push Merle off; all though he might as well have with the way he tensed up. Merle pulled away and bit his lip

“What… Ya gonna leave me?”

He asked; voice weak. Rick just continued to give him the cold shoulder. Merle leaned back against the wall

“Rick… Please talk to me,”

He managed to get out without stuttering. Rick scoffed harshly and held up the gun; firing at one of the walkers, then another, then another before slamming the gun down violently and turning to Merle

“Now ya wanna talk!?”

He snapped. Merle cowered away from him; stumbling and falling back, staring up at Rick with panic in his eyes. The former sheriff took deep ragged breaths

“So I spend weeks tryin’ ta get ya ta understand why I want ya ta talk ta me, ‘n Daryl can convince ya in a matter ‘a minutes!?”

He yelled. Merle shook with fear; the way Rick’s face was contorted with rage, how he sounded when he was mad, really mad, and yelling, he looked and sounded just like Will, and Merle was absolutely petrified. All it would take was a single punch and Rick would be exactly like Will Dixon. Before the former sheriff could utter another word; tears began to fall from Merle’s wide eyes

“I’m sorry,”

He choked. Rick froze and his eyes widened as he stared down at one of the 2 people he loved the most in this entire world; broken, crying, and terrified… Of _him_. Merle let out a shaky breath and he moved farther away from Rick

“I’m sorry,”

He repeated; a sob escaping on the last syllable. Rick bit his lip and knelt down in front of Merle; reaching out to touch his cheek. When Merle flinched, Rick fully realized the damage he’d done

“No, no; ya don’t have nothin’ ta be sorry ‘bout,”

He soothed; guilt welling up in his chest. Merle sniffled and flinched away when Rick tried to touch him again. Rick swallowed thickly

“It’s okay; I ain’t gonna hurt ya, I’d never hurt ya,”

He assured softly. Merle sniffled again; eyes still wide, and his body still partially frozen in fear. Rick finally managed to get his hand close enough that he could wipe Merle’s tears away

“Don’t be afraid ‘a me, I don’t think I could handle that,”

He breathed. Merle glanced down at the hand on his cheek

“I-I-I didn’t m-mean ta make ya a-angry,”

He whimpered pathetically. Rick bit his lip and pushed a gentle, cautious kiss to Merle’s trembling lips

“I know, ‘n I’m so sorry,”

He breathed after pulling away from the kiss. Merle leaned into the hand on his cheeks

“I-I didn’t know, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean ta hurt ya, I didn’t know it was so important to ya,”

He choked; a small sob in his voice. Rick shook his head

“No, it’s not so important that I need ta hurt ya; I am _so_ sorry,”

He emphasized. Merle sniffled again as he stared at Rick

“Y-Ya looked ‘n sounded _so_ much like my dad,”

He whimpered fearfully. Rick bit his lip and pushed his forehead against Merle’s

“There is _nothing_ I can say ta make this better, I’m so sorry; I love ya so much,”

He breathed. Merle took a deep breath and closed his eyes

“I love ya too,”

He croaked; reaching up to wipe his eyes. Rick let a small smile slip

“Do ya still trust me?”

He worried. Merle smiled slightly

“Yeah,”

He assured; nuzzling Rick’s nose. He was still shaking, and he still seemed nervous, but he’d calmed down a lot. Rick’s smile grew and he pushed another kiss to Merle’s lips

“Daryl’s probably worried; wanna go find him?”

He asked. Merle shook his head

“Can we just stay here fer now?”

He muttered. Rick smiled and sat down next to Merle

“Sure,”

He agreed; pulling Merle so his head was leaning against his shoulder. They sat in silence for 5 minutes

“I just can’t feel my legs right now,”

Merle admitted. Rick let a smile slip, but he flinched

“I’m sorry, baby,”

He sighed; kissing the top of Merle’s head. The older man didn’t respond, he just sat there, clinging to Rick and staring down at the walkers. Rick narrowed his eyes at them; Merle didn’t need to see them right now, he knew he could handle it, but Rick didn’t want him to. He hooked his arms under Merle’s legs and hoisted him up like a bride

“Let’s get back ta yer cell; ya look like ya could use some rest,”

He breathed. Merle didn’t push Rick away like he normally would have, and Rick realized, truly, what he’d done. Merle may trust him, but now he was afraid of him. Rick pursed his lips together as he walked through the halls of the prison with Merle in tow. Daryl was already in the cell when he got there

“What happened?”

He worried when he noticed the dazed look in Merle’s eyes; a look he only ever got after a beating from their father. Rick shook his head

“I…- Nothing,”

He sighed as he lied Merle down on the bed. Daryl would immediately assume the worst and follow in Merle’s fearful footsteps if Rick told him the truth.

“Nothing I can’t fix,”

He explained; more to convince himself than Daryl. The younger Dixon bit his lip before slipping out of the cell when he noticed that Rick obviously wanted some alone time with Merle.

“Now would be a good time fer ya ta keep that promise about talkin’,”

Rick informed. Merle glanced over at Rick

“I’m dazed,”

He mumbled honestly. Rick let out a heavy sigh

“Anythin’ I can do ta help?”

He wondered. Merle shook his head

“I’ll get over it,”

He assured. Rick frowned

“Don’t want ya ta just ‘get over it’,”

He mumbled. Merle shrugged

“Ain’t nothin’ ya can do, I’m a mess, one ya can’t clean up,”

He sighed. Rick bit his lip

“Please don’t say that ‘bout yerself,”

He pleaded. Merle glanced over ta Rick again

“Why not?”

He drawled. Rick leaned forward and pushed a gentle kiss to his lips, only to be pushed away

“I wanna be alone,”

Merle choked before lying down with his back to Rick. The former sheriff sighed heavily and stood up; he’d have to talk to Daryl, he’d know how to get to Merle. If Rick had known finding something they had in common with their mother would bring so much grief, he would’ve dropped it ages ago.

**Author's Note:**

> That got dark af around the end there. Sorry; wasn’t originally intended. This was supposed to be just cracky-porn and a plot was born somewhere along the way. Anywho, sorry. If you guys want another fic where I go into more detail about Merle’s glaring PTSD, and crippling trust-issues, I definitely will. If you want a more ‘Rickyl’ primary story going into more detail about the abuse, I’m not opposed to doing that either. ALSO “Don’t be afraid ‘a me, I don’t think I could handle that,” is a small bit manipulative, Rick.
> 
> Please don't comment on my writing style; I'm aware it's odd. I don't need you to tell me that.


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